Two simple, accurate, and precise chromatographic methods have been developed and validated for the determination of dronedarone (DRO) HCl and amiodarone (AMI) HCl either alone or in binary mixtures due to the possibility of using AMI as a counterfeit of DRO because of its lower price. First, an RP-HPLC method is described for the simultaneous determination of DRO and AMI. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a BDS Hypersil C18 column (150×4.6 mm, 5 μm). Isocratic elution based on potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer with 0.1% triethylamine pH 6-methanol (10+90, v/v) at a flow rate of 2 mL/min with UV detection at 254 nm was performed. The second method is RP ultra-HPLC in which the chromatographic separation was achieved on an AcclaimTM RSLC 120 C18 column (100×2.1 mm, 2.2 μm) using isocratic elution with potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer with 0.1% triethylamine pH 6-methanol (5+95, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min with UV detection at 254 nm.

Dronedarone HCl was subjected to forced decomposition conditions of hydrolysis (neutral, acidic and alkaline), oxidation, photolysis and thermal stress, as suggested in the ICH guideline Q1A(R2). The drug showed significant degradation under alkaline hydrolytic and alkaline photolytic conditions while it remained stable in neutral, acidic, thermal and oxidative conditions. In total, six degradation products (I-VI) were formed, which could be separated by chromatography on C18 (250 mm × 4.6 mm; 5 μ, Xterra) column using isocratic elution method. Detection wavelength was selected as 288 nm. Multi-stage (MS(n)) and MS/TOF accurate mass studies were carried out to establish the complete fragmentation pathway of the drug which in turn was utilized in characterization of the products. The degradation pathway of the drug leading to generation of products I-VI was postulated and this has not been reported so far.